15 August 2010
large negative, small size
21/08/10 14:39
Large negative, compact size.
The quest for high quality pictures made with a small compact camera is as old as the construction of the Leica. In fact it is one of the reasons for its existence. Creating a favorable ratio between volume of camera and negative area was one of the goals of Barnack. It is still one of the USPs of the M9 that has a small size and volume compared to the dSLR cameras that possess the same sized sensor but are much bulkier and heavier.
Getting rid of the mirror box is one of the tactics that he new wave of mirrorless-interchangeable lens-compact cameras employ to approach that favorable ratio. With the exception of the m4/3 models, most newcomers in this segment use large sensors to try to deliver image quality of the state-of-the-art dSLR types.
There are basically two design types, one emulating a dSLR shape and profile and one copying the stylish compact models of yesterday, the Pen is the one to beat.
It is interesting to note that the public (and the press) associate the dSLR shape with professional photography and the other shape with amateur photography. The reader with a limited historical perspective may look at the mid-fifties of the previous century when the rangefinder shape and the box shape of Rolleiflex and Hasselblad were the flag bearers of professionalism.
Is the camera type (previously known as EVIL) an enduring phenomenon and can it replace the SLR type as the dominant tool for photographers who want high performance and easy portability? One may doubt it. The dSLR is rapidly integrating full video functionality in its concept and with the new wave of cinema lenses (Zeiss, Red One, Leica) there is much interest in the SLR as a tool for movie-making.
History has many examples of compact cameras with large sized negative areas that had instant success at first but due to inherent limitations did not become a longterm trend. The Rollei 35 springs to mind, but one the most interesting models is the Minolta TC-1. It had all features of the professional cameras of that time with AF, spotmeter, exposure automation and so on.
Below there is a construction drawing of that camera.
The designers of the TC-1 were focused to equip the camera with all necessary components for high quality imagery. The lens is a very sophisticated five element design with three aspherical surfaces and the MTF graph shows excellent performance that would be competitive even today.
The aperture mechanism is impressive: every aperture setting has its own dedicated panel with a perfectly circular shape.
For me the TC-1 is an outstanding example of a camera that is designed with the expert photographer in mind. The camera is loaded with sensible features that are really important for high performance photography in a miniaturized body shape.
The care for the construction and design of the viewfinder is exemplary and much more elaborate than the constructs that are now offered as optical viewfinders in most compact cameras.
The main message of this camera and this is the approach sadly missing in current designs is the focus on real photographic qualities to complement the big sized negative or capture area. The Minolta designers were reflecting on what the ambitious photographer really needs to accomplish his goal to create brilliant large format pictures.
A new edition of the Leica X1 could refocus on these aspects for sophisticated imagery. A large sensor in a small body does not suffice. One needs a vision on photography and its culture.
That is stuff for the next blog.
The quest for high quality pictures made with a small compact camera is as old as the construction of the Leica. In fact it is one of the reasons for its existence. Creating a favorable ratio between volume of camera and negative area was one of the goals of Barnack. It is still one of the USPs of the M9 that has a small size and volume compared to the dSLR cameras that possess the same sized sensor but are much bulkier and heavier.
Getting rid of the mirror box is one of the tactics that he new wave of mirrorless-interchangeable lens-compact cameras employ to approach that favorable ratio. With the exception of the m4/3 models, most newcomers in this segment use large sensors to try to deliver image quality of the state-of-the-art dSLR types.
There are basically two design types, one emulating a dSLR shape and profile and one copying the stylish compact models of yesterday, the Pen is the one to beat.
It is interesting to note that the public (and the press) associate the dSLR shape with professional photography and the other shape with amateur photography. The reader with a limited historical perspective may look at the mid-fifties of the previous century when the rangefinder shape and the box shape of Rolleiflex and Hasselblad were the flag bearers of professionalism.
Is the camera type (previously known as EVIL) an enduring phenomenon and can it replace the SLR type as the dominant tool for photographers who want high performance and easy portability? One may doubt it. The dSLR is rapidly integrating full video functionality in its concept and with the new wave of cinema lenses (Zeiss, Red One, Leica) there is much interest in the SLR as a tool for movie-making.
History has many examples of compact cameras with large sized negative areas that had instant success at first but due to inherent limitations did not become a longterm trend. The Rollei 35 springs to mind, but one the most interesting models is the Minolta TC-1. It had all features of the professional cameras of that time with AF, spotmeter, exposure automation and so on.
Below there is a construction drawing of that camera.
The designers of the TC-1 were focused to equip the camera with all necessary components for high quality imagery. The lens is a very sophisticated five element design with three aspherical surfaces and the MTF graph shows excellent performance that would be competitive even today.
The aperture mechanism is impressive: every aperture setting has its own dedicated panel with a perfectly circular shape.
For me the TC-1 is an outstanding example of a camera that is designed with the expert photographer in mind. The camera is loaded with sensible features that are really important for high performance photography in a miniaturized body shape.
The care for the construction and design of the viewfinder is exemplary and much more elaborate than the constructs that are now offered as optical viewfinders in most compact cameras.
The main message of this camera and this is the approach sadly missing in current designs is the focus on real photographic qualities to complement the big sized negative or capture area. The Minolta designers were reflecting on what the ambitious photographer really needs to accomplish his goal to create brilliant large format pictures.
A new edition of the Leica X1 could refocus on these aspects for sophisticated imagery. A large sensor in a small body does not suffice. One needs a vision on photography and its culture.
That is stuff for the next blog.